Alpha King’s True Mate: Mated to My Adoptive Brother novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44: She Was Mine 

Chapter 44 She Was Mine 

(Roman’s POV) 

The weight of the night pressed against the mansion like an uninvited guest, silent and suffocating 

Scarlett had finally dozed off after finishing the tea Hunter prepared for her. She resisted at first, her typical stubbornness on full display, but I wasn’t letting her go to bed without it. 

It was only when her breathing evened out, soft and steady, that I allowed myself to leave her room. 

Hunter entered my study with his usual quiet efficiency, but there was tension in the air around him. He waited until I acknowledged him, his 

respectful silence speaking louder than words. I leaned back in my chair, tapping my fingers idly against the polished wood of the armrest. 

“What is it?” I asked, my voice calm but edged with curiosity. I already had a suspicion. 

Hunter glood straighter, as if preparing for a storm. “Alexander won’t relent, he started, his tone cautious. “His Beta’s been waiting outside for hours, 

demanding a formal meeting.” 

Traised an eyebrow but remained otherwise still. “Hours, you say? Still no Alexander himself, though?” 

Hunter shook his head. “No. He sent his Beta instead–probably a strategic move to save face.” 

A low chuckle escaped me. “And what do they want this time? Let me guess, this is about that mansion again.” My voice was laced with cold 

amusement. 

Hunter gave a small nod. “It is Grace’s condition is worse. Their resources are stretched thin, and she’s not responding well to their efforts. They 

believe moving her here–to the seaside property–is their only hope” 

I steepled my fingers in front of me and tilted my head slightly. “So now they come crawling,” I said softly, more to myself than to Hunter. “After 

everything they allowed to happen to Scarlett, they dare to approach us, expecting charity?” 

“They’re desperate,” Hunter admitted. “The Winter Pack donations are drying up too. Grace’s condition isn’t just bad for her–it’s dragging the pack 

down. She’s bleeding them dry emotionally and financially 

I leaned forward, my ice–blue eyes fixed on Hunter. “Tell me something, Hunter. How did this engagement of theirs ever come to be? Why was 

Scarlett even tied to Alexander in the first place? 

Hunter hesitated. For once, he looked unsure. “It’s… a long, complicated situation, he started carefully. 

“Make it simple,” I said, my voice cold. 1 don’t have patience for complications. 

Hunter sighed and straightened his shoulders. “The engagement was arranged before the Winter Pack knew Scarlett was their real daughter. Originally, the match was for Grace–Alexander and Grace were supposed to secure a political alliance. Only when the truth came out and Scarlett was acknowledged as their bloodline daughter… the engagement conveniently shifted to her 

His words hung heavy in the room, and for a moment, I said nothing. My jaw clenched tightly, and my fingers curled into fists as the weight of his 

statement settled in. 

My woll, Logan, growled ferociously beneath the surface. To think they arranged to hand Scarlett over as though she were some bargaining tool–as 

if she had no say in her own future–it disgusted me to my core. 

“And she had no choice in this,” I said quietly, more a statement than a question. 

“No choice,” Hunter confirmed, his own tone simmering with frustration. “They used her, Roman Just as they’ve always done. She didn’t even know 

about it until much later.” 

I slammed my fist onto the desk, the wood groaning under the force. Logan surged closer to the surface, and I could feel his rage swirling inside me 

“They stripped her of agency” I said, my voice low and crackling with fury. “First, they abandoned her. Then, they had the nerve to treat her like a pawn to their schemes. And now… now Alexander sends his Beta here, begging for favors? For Grace, of all people?” 

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Hunter didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The anger radiating from me was thick enough to smother any words he might have offered 

Through our bond, I could feel Scarlett upstairs, finally resting, her presence a quiet reassurance against the storm brewing in my chest. That was al 

Chapter 44 She Was Mine 

that mattered. She was safe now, under my roof, away from the leeches who had used her for political gain. 

“They’ll get nothing from me,” I said coldly. Let them wait. If they ask again, stall. Let them suffer for what they’ve done.” 

Hunter nodded once, understanding my unspoken command. “Understood. I’ll see to it.” 

He hesitated before leaving but quickly thought better of voicing whatever concern was on his mind. Smart choice. The room dropped into silence as he exited, leaving me with only my thoughts and the faint crackle of Logan’s simmering rage. 

Satisfied the matter was handled, I left the study and made my way up the stairs. The vast halls of the mansion felt both empty and full at the same timea strange sensation now that Scarlett was here. 

Pushing open the door to her room, I was met with the familiar scent of her citrusy fragrance. It was a calming presence in the quiet night. She lay fast asleep, curled into the covers, her auburn hair spread across the pillow like a halo. 

My chest tightened at the sight of her. She looked so peaceful now, so different from the guarded, fierce woman who had faced Daniel and Alexander so boldly earlier. This was the Scarlett few saw–the Scarlett I knew. The girl I had grown up protecting, the one who always sought to hide her pain behind that iron–clad exterior.